Drum traverse winding machine



Aug. 11, 1970 F. SLIJKOORD DRUM TRAVERSE WINDING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet l Fial INVENTOR.

FRITS SLIJKOORD Aug. 11, 1970 F.8LIJKOORD 3,5

DRUM TRAVERSE WINDING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1968 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

FRITS SLJKOORD BY W United States Patent 3,523,652 DRUM TRAVERSE WINDING MACHINE Frits Slijkoord, Dieren, Netherlands, assignor to American Enka Corporation, Enka, N.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Mar. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 713,684 Claims priority, application Netherlands, Mar. 21, 1967, 6704143 Int. Cl. B65h 54/50 US. Cl. 24243.2 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Traverse apparatus provided with a system of yarn guides for yarn passing to and through a rotatable, slotted traverse drum, barrel, cylinder and the like; the guides are in the form of parallel rods or bars and spaced on opposite sides of the traverse drum and the like; the guides are attached to and turn about the drums supporting shaft and means are also provided for causing displacement thereof about the drums outer periphery as yarn take-up package increases in size during winding.

This invention relates to winding apparatus, more particularly to winding apparatus of the type in which yarn or like material is traversed back and forth across or along the length of a package or its support by means of a rotatable, slotted, traversing cylinder or drum.

In the following specification and claims it is to be understood that the term yarn is used in a general sense and its intended to apply to all kinds of strand-like material, textile or otherwise, and the designation package is intended to mean a wound product of a winding machine whatever its form. The invention has particular importance for traverse machines to be used as the take-up for twisted or untwisted artificial continuous filament yarns and thus it can be used in continuous as well as in discontinuous processes. The term groove or slot for the purpose of this invention is intended to denote an elongated, narrow cut contiguous with the internal and external side walls of the traverse cylinder or drum through which the cut is made.

It is well-known in the winding art to guide a strand or yarn onto a rotating take-up such as a package or a supporting tube, spool, a cylindrical or conical core therefore by means of a rotatable, hollow traverse cylinder, barrel, roll, drum and the like having either single or plural endless, helical, zig-zag slots or grooves therein. Apparatus having this general type construction is shown in British Pat. 874,651.

In the apparatus illustrated generally by the patent, running yarn passes chordwise to and then through the traverse drum within a helical slot therein. Rotating the drum causes an orderly laying of the yarn along the takeup package, spool, core, etc., at exceptionally high speeds and commensurate with those conceivable in yarn take-up or winding machines. As will be observed in the patent, a yarn to be wound is passed downwardly and along a straight path to the drum. It is then caused to cross perpendicular to the aixs (or the supporting shaft) of the drum through the slot in the outer cylindrical surface thereof. Passing to the drum, the yarn path subtends an angle of 120 in relation to axis or shaft and during the ice winding operation, the yarn in the groove will always follow a path which crosses the axis of the drum in a plane substantially perpendicular thereto, a result of which is a reduction in sloughing, tension variation, etc., caused by bending the yarn out of its straight path of the edges of the helical slots or slots. With this type apparatus the diameter of the drum has to be rather large in relation to the diameter of the package being wound. The spindle which supports the package, core and the like is stationary in the sense that linear movement into and out of engagement with the traverse drum is not provided for.

Like the traverse drum of the present invention, the drum of the patent is to be used purely as a traverse mechanism and not for the purpose of driving the package (or, alternatively, the package driving the drum by surface contact therewith); nor is it intended for movement to compensate for package size during take-up. At one side of the drum and at the position where the yarn is initially supplied thereto, there is mounted (at an ap preciable distance from the drum) a thread guide which is also stationary. The relatively large dimensions of the drum (in regard to the size of package being formed) permit very little deviation of the yarn path.

It has been observed that during the process of winding using apparatus of the patent, the space between the point of exit of the yarn from the drum and the point of its arrival on the yarn package continuously varies. And since the spindle which supports the yarn package is stationary in the sense that no back and forth movement to compensate for package size is provided for, the space must be rather large in order that a full yarn package may clear the drum during take-up. Excess space for clearance leads to the formation of thick yarn ridges (ribbon or saddle effect) at the ends of the wound package. Moreover, and as the diameter of the package increases, tension fluctuations become a problem since the angular path of the yarn gradually changes; the angle of the yarn travel continuously decreases as the package grows in size. As a direct result, the yarn will no longer follow a preferred theoretical path which is essentially perpendicular to the axis of the drum. In order to minimize the influence of these disadvantages, it has been found necessary to provide drums of cumbersome, large and expensive size or else operate the apparatus at less than maximum possible capacity and thus with less than the greatest possible efficiency and economy.

It is another object of the present invention, therefore, to provide yarn traverse apparatus of construction in which the disadvantages and drawbacks to heretofore known apparatus are effectively avoided.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a traverse cylinder or drum characterized by a system of at least two displaceable yarn guides of a novel configuration.

In general, the present invention consists of providing a system of yarn guides such as at least two rods or bars for the yarn passing to and through a rotatable traverse drum, barrel, cylinder and the like and thereafter onto a take-up therefore. The guides are spaced apart one traverse cycle of a helical, zig-zag slot in the traverse drum and are parallel to the axis of the drum and extend along its outer cylindrical surface. The guides are attached to and can turn about the drums axis or supporting shaft and means are also provided for causing continuous displacement thereof about the outer periphery of the drum as the diameter of the yarn package increases in size during take-up.

The yarn is passed round the back of the novel guides in order that the path thereof is near the cylinder axis. As a direct result, the bars always cause the yarn to follow a path through the cylinder which subtends an angle of constant magnitude in relation to the cylinder axis. The yarn package being wound is displaceable away from the drum as its size gradually increases, and a coupling is provided so that the movement thereof is translated to the system of guide bars of the invention. It is possible, therefore, to keep the free yarn length between the drum and the package practically constant during the building of the package and, more importantly, of very small magnitude. It is now possible to use traverse drums having dimensions of the same order of magnitude as those of the yarn package to be formed.

The improved means realized in traverse apparatus of the present invention is of particular importance when used purely for laying yarn in an orderly fashion on an independently driven package. It is not applicable for those embodiments wherein the package take-up is stationary (in the sense of linear in and out movement) and wherein the drum also serves to drive the package. Only by driving the package independently are the important advantages of the present invention obtained. The yarn package is mounted on a movable, swinging arm and the novel means for turning the system of the guide bars are coupled to the arm. Although the present invention is visualized as having utility in traverse drums featuring multi-cycle, zig-zag slots, best results are obtained in drums provided with a two-cycle, zig-zag groove. Difficulties, such as, for example, yarn slippage along the edge of the slot, are prevented.

Other objects and further advantages of the present invention will become apparent upon consideration of the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings; wherein FIG. 1 illustrates in perspective view the apparatus of the invention.

FIG. 2 schematically illustrates another embodiment of the means for turning the system of the yarn guide bars for the traverse apparatus.

FIG. 3 is an elevation of the drums outer periphery.

In FIG. 1, numeral 1 refers to a drive roller; the roller is rotated in the direction noted by the arrow and at a constant speed. The roller is in contact with and drives a yarn package 2 rotatable on a spindle 15 attached to the end of a swinging arm 3. The swinging arm 3 turns on fulcrum 4, as a result of which the yarn package remains in constant pressure contact with the drive roller as the package builds. Mounted directly over the drive roller and the yarn package, is grooved, hollow cylinder or traverse drum 5. Cylinder 5 is mounted on a shaft 9 and is driven in the direction of the arrow utilizing a drive for the sake of clarity (not shown). Machined into cylinder or drum 5 is a two-cycle, zig-zag groove, or more definitively, slot 8, formed by four helical segments interconnected by suitably rounded segments. The position of the hollow drum or cylinder is so chosen that the developing surface of the growing package can remain substantially at a constant distance therefrom. Located near the line interconnecting the axis of rotation of the yarn package and the traverse drum is guide bar 6. Opposite thereto and on the other side of the outer cylindrical surface of the drum is guide bar 7.

Yarn 16 to be wound in package form is supplied from a suitable source such as a spinneret, cheese, etc., and passes through the groove, beneath guide bars 6 and 7. On account of the position of the guide bars 6 and 7 and as a direct result of the fact that the helical yarn slot is of the two-cycle, zig-zag type, the path of the yarn will (irrespective of the position of the drum) always be perpendicular to the axis of the traverse drum. The position of the guide bar 6 and the relatively narrow space between the cylinder and the yarn package insure the fact that the space between the yarns point of exit from the slotted cylinder and the point of its arrival on the package will be relatively small. As an improved result thereof, formation of ridges (ribbons) on the package will be reduced to a minimum. In order to prevent guide bar 6 from interfering with the yarn package as it grows in size, the system formed by the guide bars 6 and 7 is turned about the outer cylindrical surface of the drum (and, accordingly, about its supporting shaft) in a direction opposite its direction of rotation. And the guide bars 6 and 7 are mounted on a double-armed lever 10 which can freely turn on the shaft 9. The lever arm on which the guide bar 6 is mounted has been lengthened and is provided with a slot 17. In the slot 17 fits the end of the spindle 15. As the yarn package 2 grows in size the spindle 15 moves away from the driving roller 1, the lever 10 being turned as a result of the spindle 15 cooperating with the slot 17.

FIG. 2 is represented schematically to indicate the operation of another embodiment of the means for turning the guide bar system. The numerals 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10 and 15 refer to the exact same elements shown in FIG. 1. Guide bars 6 and 7 are also mounted on lever 10. Lever 10 can turn on shaft 9 fixedly supporting the drum for rotary movement. Lever 10 is mounted adjacent one end of the cylinder. In addition to supporting the guide bars 6 and 7, lever 10 carries arm 11 at the end of which there is connected wire 12. Wire 12 i passed over pulley 13 and is attached at its opposite end to the swinging arm 3. Spring 14 maintains proper tension on wire 12. As the yarn package grows, swinging arm 3 turns, which, by way of the wire 12 and arm 11, results in the lever 10 being turned. Consequently, guide bar 6 moves to the right and keeps the path of the growing yarn package 2 clear.

In suitably choosing the various dimensions of the guide bar system, it is possible to keep the free yarn length between the point of exit from the slot and the point of arrival on the yarn package between 24 and 30 mm. and in winding of a cold drawn, nylon 6 yarn (70 denier, 24 filaments) to packages weighing more than 3 kg. at a winding speed of about m./min. it is possible to keep the winding tension below 0.05 g./denier.

It should be realized that FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate only two of the several conceivable embodiments for the means for turning the system of the guide bars.

FIG. 3 shows face of the traverse drum wherein the helical portions of the groove appear as straight lines which, when viewed in the circumferential direction, run parallel to each other at distances equal to half the circumference of the cylinder. The points of entry to and exit from the slot of the yarn path always lie on a pair of said parallel lines, the one point being vertically over the other.

It is understood that the description of the above embodiments is for the purposes of illustration and is not intended to limit the scope of this invention exc ept to the extent defined in the claims.

What is claimed is.:

1. Apparatus for winding filaments, strands, threads or yarns onto a package, comprising in combination:

(a) a driven hollow cylindrical drum provided with a multicycle, helical slot for traversing yarn during winding;

(b) a combination of at least two guides for said yarn. said guides being located outside, closely adjacent and parallel to said drum, and, spaced apart by one traverse cycle of said slot; and

(c) means for providing rotary movement to said guides relative to the periphery of said drum and about the axis of said drum in response to the increase of diameter of said package.

2. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein a roller drives said package.

slot makes two cycles over the circumferential surface of said drum.

3. Apparatus as defined in claim 1 wherein said helical References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Reiners et a1. 242-432 lessen 24243.2 Boyd et a1. 242-43.2 Anderson 24243.2 Rouge 242 43.2 Haefeli 2424'3.2

FOREIGN PATENTS STANLEY N. GILREATH, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

